One of the significant environmental problems confronting the United States today is undesirable exhaust emissions from combustion engines and related apparatus, especially vehicle emissions from gasoline-fueled automobiles and diesel-fueled trucks using internal combustion (IC) engines. Although significant reductions in some vehicle emissions have been achieved in the past, further reductions are still currently being sought. One especially difficult portion of the emissions problem is generally recognized to be the emission of so-called greenhouse combustion gases, e.g., CO2 from diesel and gasoline-fueled vehicles. Another problem is generally recognized to be the emission of excessive amounts of nitrous and other nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, especially from diesel-powered vehicles.
One of the objects of the invention is to increase fuel efficiency and reduce IC engine emissions of one or more of the following exhaust emissions: carbon dioxide (CO2); carbon monoxide (CO); nitrogen oxides (NOx); particulate matter (PM); and unburned and/or volatile hydrocarbons (VOC and/or gaseous HC).